Self-sealing shaker top



N. T. MILLS SELF-SEALING SHAKER TOP Nov. 19, 1963 Filed April 17. 1961 F9 wa INVENTOR MM M BY m, 29M ATT NEYS United States Patent 3,111,244 SELF-SEALING SHAKER T6? Norman T. Mills, Hudson Fails, N3. (18 2nd St., Glens Falis, NE.) Filed Apr. 17, 1961, er. No. 103,322 2 Claims. Cl. ZZZ-196.4)

This invention relates to a shaker top, particularly for such powdered materials as salt and the like, and has for an object to provide a self-sealing top for this type of shaker which will automatically unseal itself for controlled discharge of contents when shifted to the shaking position, but will automatically seal itself against entrance of moisture to the contents of the shaker when the shaker is moved to its normal upright position.

Another object is to provide a shaker top having a loose ball as an automatic closing means for an exit opening from the container which will have the effect of automatically tending to loosen the salt or similar powdered material from the discharge openings as the device is used.

It is also an object to provide a shaker top in which the ball for automatically opening and closing the inlet opening is located in a downwardly extending crater in a solid core for the cap, the lower end of which core is a concave recess for directing the contents of the shaker to the inlet opening whereby the entire contents of the container may be used, and the core is also provided with transverse fins providing a finger grip for readily inserting the core in the cap or for removing it therefrom.

With the foregoing and other objects in view I have devised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification. it is, however, to be understood the invention is not limited to the specific details of construction and arrangement shown, but may embody various changes and modifications within the scope of the invention.

In this drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the upper portion of a container with the cap applied thereto, and with the cap and part of the container shown in section;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the upper portion of the container and cap showing the shaker in the shaking position;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the core removed from the cap, and

FIG. 4 is an end view looking toward the lower or inner end of the core.

This application is a continuation in part of my prior application for Self-Sealing Shaker Top, Serial No. 18,943, filed March 31, 1960.

The device shown comprises a container 5 of any suitable material, such, for example, as glass or a suitable plastic, for holding the powdered material such, for example, as salt, pepper or similar material. It is open at its upper end 6 and externally screw-threaded as shown at 7 to receive the closure or cap indicated as a whole at S. This closure comprises an external hollow cap 9 and a solid internal core 1B. The outer cap and core are preferably tapered, the cap having an externally convexly curved outer wall, as indicated at 11, and provided with a series of discharge openings or perforations 12 in the smaller upper or free end, and internally threaded, as indicated at 13, at its lower or larger end to fit not only the threads 7 of the container, but to also extend beyond the free end of the container to receive the correspondingly shaped screw threads 14 on the lower outer surface at the lower end of the core 18.

As shown, the core is a hollow member tapered and curved on its outer surface to fit the interior surface of the outer member 9, and it is provided with a cratershaped recess 15 extending downwardly from its upper or outer end below the discharge openings 12. This outer 3,111,244 Patented Nov. 19, 1963 ice end of the core is preferably spaced [somewhat from the outer end of the cap or shell, as indicated in FIG. 1, to provide space for the powdered material passing from the recess to have access to the discharge openings. This crater-shaped recess 15 thus tapers at its lower end to an inlet opening 16 in the lo er or inner end of the core for passage of the contents of the container to the recess 15. Located in the recess 15 is a loose and free ball closure 17 adapted to seat over and close the inlet opening 16 when the shaker is in an upright position, to thus seal this opening against entrance of moisture to the contents in the container, but when the shaker is in the shaking position, as indicated in FIG. 2, this ball moves automaticaily from its position over the inlet opening 16 and moves to the outer end portion of the cap member 9, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2, where it acts to loosen any powdered material which may be lodged on the inner surface of this outer member or in or about the openings 12, to keep them free for passage of the material from the container. This spherical ball 17 is preferably of a relatively heavy material such, for example, as a metal coated with a material not subject to corrosion and a nontoxic material, or the ball itself could be of a material not subject to corrosion and non-toxic. The closure itself comprising the cap and the core may be of any suitable material, as metal not subject to corrosion, plastic, wood, rubber, plaster, glass or composition.

The lower end of the core is formed as a concave recess 12 which acts to direct the powdered contents of the container to the opening 16 so that all the contents may be used, and this wall is also provided with means forming a finger grip by means of which the core 10 may be screwed into or removed from the outer member 9 of the cap. This is preferably formed by means of transverse fins 19 located in and projecting downwardly from the inner end of the core. This permits ready removal of the core for cleaning purposes, and it is as readily returned to its normal position. It will be seen that when the container is in the upright position of FIG. 1, the ball rests at the inner end of the tapered crater-shaped recess 15 and seats over the inlet opening 16 to close and seal it. The ball is large enough to effectively seal this opening without becoming wedged in it.

When the shaker is used for discharging the powdered material and is turned to an inclined or inverted position, as indicated in FIG. 2, the ball 17 automatically moves away from the opening 16, permitting the powdered material to pass through this opening into the crater-shaped recess 15 and out through the discharge openings 12. The core is long enough so that as the shaker is shifted to this position and the ball drops onto the inner side of the smaller end of the outer member 9, it imparts a sulficient blow to this member to loosen the powdered material which may have attached itself to the perforated end of the outer member or become lodged in the discharge openings 12. Also, when the shaker is returned to its upright position the ball may have a similar efiect on the inner end of the core and the material in the opening 16.

It will be seen from the above the inner member it is a solid core which screw threads into the outer member or shell 9 of the cap, but that the cap comprising the combination of the member 9 and the member 10 is attached to the container 5 by the outer member only. This permits removal of the complete cap comprising the combination of the outer shell and core as a single unit and in a single operation. This not only allows the cap structure to be removed as a single unit, but its structure is contained entirely within the cap itself and does not project down into the container, in which case it would take up space that could be used by the powdered material in the container. As the lower or inner end of the core seats against the free edge of the open end of the container there is no space left between them in which the contents of the container may become lodged. Also, the solid core with the concave bottom wall 18 leading to the recess 16 allows the use of all the material in the container and directs it to the central inlet opening 16. The fins 19, forming the finger grip at the inner end of the core, perrnit it to be easily removed from the cap for cleaning purposes after the cap has been removed from the container. It will also be seen the device is of very simple construction, involving a minimum number of parts, in fact, comprising only three elements, which may be readily disassembled for cleaning purposes and as readily reassembled and applied to the container.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, I claim:

1. A shaker comprising a container open at its upper end and provided with screw threads about said end, a closure for said end including a hollow cap provided with internal screw threads at its lower end fitting those of the container and extending beyond the upper end of the container, said cap provided with discharge openings at its other end, a solid core fitting the interior of the cap and screw-threaded at its lower end to fit the threads of the cap to retain said core in the cap, said "re being disposed entirely outside the confines of said container, means forming a finger grip on the lower end of the core by which said core may be screwed into and removed from the cap, said core provided with a crater-shaped recess leading downward from its upper end and disposed below the discharge openings in the cap to an inlet opening at the lower end of the core that extends completely through said core and communicates with the interior of said container, and a free ball closure within the crater-shaped recess adapted to close the inlet opening when the shaker is in an upright position.

2. A shaker comprising a container open at its upper end and provided with screw threads about said end, a closure for said end including a hollow cap provided with internal screw threads at its lower end fitting those of the container and extending beyond the upper end of the container, said cap provided with discharge openings at its other end, a solid core for said cap provided with a crater-shaped recess leading downwardly from its upper end and disposed below said openings in the cap to an inlet opening at the lower end of the core that extends completely through said core and communicates with the interior of said container, said core provided with screw threads at its lower end fitting the threads of the cap to retain said core in the cap, a free ball closure in the cratershaped recess adapted to close the inlet opening when the shaker is in an upright position, the lower end of the core comprising a downwardly facing concave recess to direct the contents of the container to the inlet opening, and downwardly extending transverse fins on the lower end of the core disposed within said concave recess and providing a finger grip for inserting the core in and removing it from the cap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,005,705 Hanke Oct. 10, 1911 1,683,153 Bishop Sept. 4, 1928 1,906,135 Cunningham Apr. 25, 1933 2,160,602 Nagel May 30, 1939 2,173,046 Smith Sept. 12, 1939 2,417,273 Staab Oct. 11, 1947 2,437,882 Mallick Mar. 16, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS 878,694 France Oct. 26, 1942 

1. A SHAKER COMPRISING A CONTAINER OPEN AT ITS UPPER END AND PROVIDED WITH SCREW THREADS ABOUT SAID END, A CLOSURE FOR SAID END INCLUDING A HOLLOW CAP PROVIDED WITH INTERNAL SCREW THREADS AT ITS LOWER END FITTING THOSE OF THE CONTAINER AND EXTENDING BEYOND THE UPPER END OF THE CONTAINER, SAID CAP PROVIDED WITH DISCHARGE OPENINGS AT ITS OTHER END, A SOLID CORE FITTING THE INTERIOR OF THE CAP AND SCREW-THREADED AT ITS LOWER END TO FIT THE THREADS OF THE CAP TO RETAIN SAID CORE IN THE CAP, SAID CORE BEING DISPOSED ENTIRELY OUTSIDE THE CONFINES OF SAID CONTAINER, MEANS FORMING A FINGER GRIP ON THE LOWER END OF THE CORE BY WHICH SAID CORE MAY BE SCREWED INTO AND REMOVED FROM THE CAP, SAID CORE PROVIDED WITH A CRATER-SHAPED RECESS LEADING DOWNWARD FROM ITS UPPER END AND DISPOSED BELOW THE DISCHARGE OPENINGS IN THE CAP TO AN INLET OPENING AT THE LOWER END OF THE CORE THAT EXTENDS COMPLETELY THROUGH SAID CORE AND COMMUNICATES WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID CONTAINER, AND A FREE BALL CLOSURE WITHIN THE CRATER-SHAPED RECESS ADAPTED TO CLOSE THE INLET OPENING WHEN THE SHAKER IS IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION. 